The Love Triangle
by Jily.Love
Summary: Lily Evans wakes up next to Sirius Black. If James finds out, it'll be the end of the boys' friendship. Can Lily and Sirius keep this a secret from James?
1. After the Party

**Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic ever so bear with me. Sorry it's so short! I'll try and make the next chapter longer :o) Let me know what you think in a review!**

**xoxoxo, Caroline**

* * *

The second she woke up, Lily Evans knew something wasn't right. Someone's arms were around her waist. She tried to lay still until she figured it out. Memories from the previous night came filtering back. Gryffindor party. Drinking too much firewhiskey. Sirius pulling her up the stairs to his dormitory. Oh, Merlin- Sirius. As far as she could remember, they hadn't done anything. To the best of her knowledge they were both still fully clothed. She remembered kissing him- a lot- but that was all.

Then, suddenly, the thought shot through her brain- James. James Potter, who was best friends with Sirius. As much as Lily detested James, she would hate to ruin their friendship, which would definitely happen if James found out what happened. _Merlin._

Lily sat up gingerly, trying not to wake Sirius, but it was inevitable. "Wassgoinon?" Sirius bleated loudly.

Lily clapped a hand over his mouth. "Sirius Black, if you say a single word, I swear to God I'll curse you into next Tuesday!" she hissed.

Sirius blinked up at her confusedly. "Evans, I.."

"Dammit, Black! Shut your mouth!" Lily gave him such a look that he flinched. "Get out of bed and come with me. NOW." Sirius followed her meekly out the portrait hole and into a tiny broom cupboard. When they were inside, Lily locked the door.

"Well, Evans, it's not exactly and ideal location, but I guess it'll do.." Sirius joked, waggling his eyebrows.

Lily glared at him. "I don't have any time for your wisecracks, Black, so shut up and sit down," she ordered, shoving him down onto an overturned bucket. "Now. What do you remember about last night?" she demanded.

"Erm.. Party. You, me. Kissing in my bed," he smirked.

Lily sucked in a breath. This was not good. "Black, you have to swear to me that you won't tell _ANYONE_. Especially not James."

Sirius looked at her like she was absolutely insane. "Do you think I have a death wish, Evans?" He stopped for a second. "Wait.. you're not starting to fall for him, are you?"

Now it was Lily's turn to look at Sirius like he had lost his mind. "I hope to God you're kidding, Black," she snorted. "I have absolutely no feelings for that stalker, and I advise you to NEVER bring it up again. But if you must know, I don't want this coming between your friendship with him, since he's so dead-set on going out with me."

Sirius nodded. "I suppose that makes sense," he conceded. "Erm.. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lily said. "Now, go back to your dorm. This never happened, all right?" In response Sirius stood up and left the broom cupboard. Lily waited for a few minutes, trying to control her heart rate before going back into the common room.


	2. Confrontations

**Helloooo! I made this one longer, hope you enjoy! Please leave a review! xoxo**

* * *

As Lily stepped through the portrait hole, she realized just how trashed the common room was. Bottles littered the floor, and some people hadn't even made it up to their dorms, opting instead to crash on the floor. McGonagall would murder them all if she found out. To avoid that nasty scenario, Lily quickly cast an advanced Vanishing charm on the bottles, making them instantly disappear. Satisfied with her work, Lily ran up the stairs to her dormitory, hoping and praying that no one was awake, and she could just pretend to have slept there all night.

No such luck. When she got to the dorm, her two best friends were already sitting on her bed, arms crossed. This was not good. Not good at all. "Where in the name of Merlin have you been?!" shrieked Alice. Lily winced. She was dead meat.

"I, erm, I went for a walk this morning," Lily stuttered, making a lie up on the spot. "I-I couldn't sleep."

Her other best friend, Elizabeth, saw straight through her. "You're lying, Lils," she said, smiling slightly. "Tell us, what guy was it this time?"

Lily sighed. "All right, you got me. Erm.. it was Sirius," she said, staring at her feet ashamedly.

Alice and Elizabeth wore identical looks of shock. "SIRIUS?" They began laughing, tears streaming down their faces.

"Stop it!" Lily cried, flushing red.

Alice wiped her eyes. "Going straight for the Gryffindor bad boy? Lily, I'm impressed."

"It wasn't like that," Lily said. "I had too much to drink, and I ended up in his bed."

Elizabeth was still giggling quietly, trying to control herself. "What did you two even do? Should we go to Madame Pomfrey for a pregnancy test?"

Even Lily couldn't contain her smile this time. "NO! We didn't do anything like that. We just, you know.."

"Snogged?" Elizabeth finished for her.

"Erm.. well.. yes." Lily's face was so red, it could've passed for a tomato.

"And..?" Alice asked.

"And.. it was, well, good! It's Sirius Black, Alice, what do you expect?" Lily said.

Alice and Elizabeth began laughing again, and Lily couldn't help but join in.

* * *

Up in the boy's dormitory, Sirius was facing a similar scenario, but James was thankfully absent. "Soooo..." Remus said, drawing the word out, "Where were you?"

"I went down to the kitchens," Sirius lied smoothly. "I was hungry."

Peter let out a rat-like squeak. "Are you sure you weren't, you know, with someone?"

Sirius glared at him. "Yes, I'm bloody sure, Wormtail, as it's my life."

Peter stared at his lap, blushing scarlet. "So, where's James?" Sirius inquired casually. "He's usually not one to miss these lovely little get-togethers." _He's not, you know, planning my death, is he?_ he added silently.

Remus widened his eyes in disbelief. "You didn't see him last night? With that girl?"

Sirius shook his head. "No."

"Well, he ended up leaving with her," Remus informed him. "I don't know where they went."

_Maybe he's finally getting over Lily,_ Sirius thought excitedly, _and then I could go out with her. No, what in the hell am I thinking? I don't like her. I was drunk last night, and I grabbed the closest girl available. It just happened to be her. Just a one night thing. Definitely._

He tuned back in to hear Remus saying, ".. Just some Ravenclaw slag."

"Ah," Sirius said. "That's m'boy!" he chuckled.

"So you didn't get with anyone last night?" Peter asked timidly. "Seems unlike you."

"I never said that," Sirius snapped. "Like I said before, it's my life, and I'd appreciate it if you'd butt out."

Remus gave Peter a look. "Drop it, Wormtail. If Padfoot doesn't want to tell us the sordid details of his love life, that's his business."

"Thank you, Moony," Sirius said. "Now, if you'll excuse me.." he turned sharply, robes snapping behind him, and left the room.

* * *

It was three days later in Potions, and James was bothering Lily again. "Evans. Evans!" he hissed, trying to get her attention. Lily glanced at Professor Slughorn, who was caught up in a lecture about importance of adding boomslang skin to a memory potion, before turning her head slightly.

"What?" she whispered fiercely.

"Go out with me?" he pleaded.

Lily rolled her eyes. "No!" she snapped. "Don't you have a girlfriend, anyway?" It was common knowledge in the castle. Everyone had seen James and the tall, auburn-haired beauty eating together in the Great Hall, holding hands across the table in the library, and snogging- a lot- in between classes.

"Well, sure," James said, "but I'd leave her in a minute if you agreed to go out with me."

Lily sighed. What a pig. "How long will it take for you to get it through your fat head, Potter? I'm NOT going to go out with you!"

James chuckled confidently. "Oh, you'll come 'round, Evans," he smiled. "I know it."

Instead of replying, Lily turned her back on him and resumed her notes. _What a moron. Sirius is so much better than him_, she thought. Then she mentally slapped herself. _Sirius is off limits_, she told herself, _and besides, he's not exactly faithful himself._

Aaaagh. Guys were too confusing.


	3. Distractions and Tears

**Heyyyy! So I know this chapter is kinda boring, but more stuff will happen in the next one, I promise! Thank you to the 2 people who have favorited/followed so far, it means so much! Seriously. I started jumping up and down when I saw it :D Please review/ favorite/follow if you like it! Thanks loves :)**

**xx Caroline**

* * *

That night, Sirius couldn't sleep, plagued by thoughts of Lily. He couldn't get her out of his head. The way her hair had fallen around his face like a waterfall as they kissed, shielding them. The way her slender fingers had caressed his chest. The way her deep green eyes sparkled in the candlelight. _Snap out of it, Black!_ he beseeched himself. He was Sirius Black, after all. The guy who girls turned to look at as he walked down the corridor. The guy who could make a girl fall in love with him with one glance. And he was hung up on this one girl?_ Tomorrow morning, take a look around the Great Hall,_ he instructed himself. _You could have any girl in that whole room. Stop thinking about Evans. She's nothing to you._ Having momentarily convinced himself that he didn't like her, Sirius rolled over and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Sirius walked into the Great Hall. And that was when he saw her. Lily. She was laughing, showing her perfect white teeth. Her lips were full and pink, and her teeth were perfect and bright white. Her eyes glittered and she tucked a strand of her beautiful red hair behind her ear.  
Sirius realized her was staring._ Damn you, Evans,_ he thought. He forced himself to keep walking towards the Gryffindor table, sliding into his seat and piling a plate with food._ I need a distraction,_ he decided. Scanning the hall, he caught the eye of a blonde over at the Hufflepuff table. He gave her his signature wink, then turned his back on her. _Good job, Black,_ he congratulated himself._ By tonight, you'll have a new girl, and you'll forget everything that happened with you and Evans._

But if that was true, why did he feel so empty inside?

* * *

Lily saw Sirius walk into the Great Hall, then stop walking. Was he.. staring at her? Lily felt herself flush. Was it possible that he liked her?_ Shut UP, Lily. Get over it. It was a one-time thing. He doesn't like you,_ she tried to convince herself. She quickly pretended to look at her nails._ Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at him._ Finally, she couldn't help herself. She glanced down the table, only to see him winking at another girl. Waves of shame hit her. _He doesn't like you. He never did. You were just his hookup of the weekend._ Slamming her chair backwards, Lily stood up and ran out of the hall._ I can't believe I ever kissed him._

* * *

Lily ran back to the common room, eyes filled with tears. She couldn't even fathom why she was so upset. She hadn't even been in love with him. Maybe she had had a few feelings for him, but that didn't justify her emotional reaction. _Ughh. I hate today,_ she thought, throwing herself down onto the couch and trying not to sob too loudly. She curled into a ball and wiped her eyes, just as Elizabeth and Alice walked into the room.

"What's wrong, Lils?" Alice asked, immediately kneeling beside her friend. "Are you all right?"

Alice's concern just made everything worse. "N-no," Lily said through a sob.

Elizabeth knelt next to her too, gently stroking Lily's hair. "Tell us, sweetie, we'll help you. I promise."

Lily took a gulp of air. "I thought I didn't have feelings for Sirius after we snogged but now I feel differently and I tried to convince myself that we didn't but deep down I knew that I liked him and there's no way he likes me back but I saw him staring at me and I thought we might've had a chance but then he winked at some other girl and I feel so used and I just want to lay down and die," she said all in one breath, hicupping.

Alice enveloped her in a hug. "He's a git, sweetie. You don't want him."

Fresh tears came to Lily's eyes. "But I do!"

Elizabeth took Lily's hand. "This stuff is never easy, Lils. But he doesn't deserve you. He's a prat and that's all there is to it. You're beautiful, smart, fun, and so much more. We'll find you a guy that treats you like a princess and not a one-night hookup."

Lily bit her lip. She had the best friends in the world. "Thanks, you guys." she drew in a shaky breath. "You're the best."

Alice pulled her up. "C'mon. We'll be late for History of Magic," she said.

Lily took a deep breath and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Let's go, then."


	4. The Note

**Hi! Hope you like this chapter, it took me FOREVERR to write. Shoutout to Born-to-be-lost for my very first review :) Love you all!**

Sirius pulled Delia closer to him in his bed, hooking a leg over her waist. He planted a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. He couldn't help but wish that it was Lily instead of her. Of course, Delia was gorgeous and practically flawless, but she was too fake. Sirius longed for Lily, with her soft red hair and fiery personality. He spent every minute trying to convince himself that he was over her- after all, Delia was everything a guy could want- but deep down, he couldn't deny the truth. _I like Lily,_ he admitted to himself. Rolling over so he was on top of Delia, he kissed her the way he wanted to kiss Lily. Delia wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him back, just as hard.

Sirius sighed to himself. _It's not the same. No one is like Lily._

Sitting up, Sirius turned to Delia. "It's getting late. I should walk you back to the Hufflepuff common room."

Delia pouted. "Baby, are you sure?" she traced Sirius's lips with her index finger. "I could just stay here.."

"It's all right. I don't mind." Sirius lept out of bed and pulled her up. "C'mon, we don't want Filch to catch us."

Delia twirled her hair and let Sirius pull her down to the common room._ Better sooner than later,_ Sirius though resignedly.

"Listen, Delia," he said nervously. "You're a great girl and all, but I just feel that we're not right for each other. I think we should break up."

Delia looked shocked. She wasn't used to being dumped. "Sirius Black, you player." she huffed, furious. "You're right, we aren't right for each other. I can do so much better than you." Throwing a poinsonous glare behind her, she stomped out of the common room.

Sirius shuddered. Thank God that was over.

* * *

Lily had successfully avoided Sirius for two weeks. Even though they weren't talking, she couldn't stop thinking about him day and night. With every passing day, her feelings for him grew stronger. But she was also wary. He had hurt her once before, there was nothing to keep him from doing it again. If he even liked her, that is. Which he didn't. AND he had a girlfriend._ SO not going to happen, Lily,_ she told herself, pinching her leg to snap back to reality. _Now stop thinking about it!_  
But try as she might, she could not get Sirius out of her head.

* * *

"So you still like him?" Alice inquired later that night in the common room.

"Yes," Lily whispered, keeping an eye out for the Marauders.

Elizabeth sighed. "Lily, I don't know about this. You know we support you in whatever you do, but this is Sirius Black. He's a player. And if you get together with him, you'll likely end up worse than you started."

Lily bit her lip. "I know. But.. I can't get him out of my head." she pulled her bag towards her and began pulling books out of it.

"Lily.." Alice began, but stopped when she noticed her friend's face was an odd shade of grayish-white. "What's the matter?" she asked, alarmed.

Lily held out a piece of parchment, hand shaking slightly. Inscribed on it was

_Lily-_  
_We need to talk. Meet me in the common room at 3 a.m tonight._  
_-Sirius_

Alice's jaw dropped. Elizabeth snatched the note from her hand. Her eyes widened as she read. _"Lily!"_

Lily shivered. Sirius wanted to meet her? _This could only mean.. No. He won't ask you out, Lily, stop being so ridiculous._

Elizabeth and Alice squealed. "He wants you to meet him! He wants you to meet him, Lily!"

Lily opened her mouth and managed to choke out, "What time is it now?"

"It's 11:30!" Alice cried. "We only have three and a half hours!"

Gripping hands, the three friends ran up the stairs.

* * *

Lily was exhausted. It was already 2:30, and Alice and Elizabeth had been getting her ready for the past three hours. First they had spent forever deliberating over outfits, finally choosing casual leggings and a soft green shirt, to match her eyes. Alice was curling her hair, while Elizabeth stroked on makeup. Lily appreciated her friends' assistance, but couldn't help noticing that they had been against her and Sirius getting together. Never being one to stifle her thoughts, Lily tentatively spoke. "You guys.. why are you both so excited over me meeting Sirius?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, we figured you rarely fall for anyone.. if you like him this much, who are we to stand in the way of that?"

Lily was so touched by her friends' care that she leapt up and pulled them both into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, feeling her heart soar.  
"Careful!" Elizabeth reprimanded. "You'll smear your makeup!"

With a chuckle, Lily sat back down. "You guys really are the best," she sighed contentedly.

* * *

Sirius sat in the common room, nervously checking his watch. 2:45.. 2:50.. 2:58.. 2:59.. 3:00. He stood up. Then sat down. Then paced across the room to the dying fire. Where was she? Lily was known for being punctual. He turned and there she was. He caught his breath. She looked gorgeous. Her hair shone, even in the dim light, and her eyes twinkled. "Wow.. Evans," Sirius murmered.

"Well, let's get to it," Lily said nervously. "Why did you want me to meet you here?"

Sirius took a deep breath. "Well.."

"Spit it out, Black," Lily said, her heart beating hard.

"Erm, well, IthinkImightlikeyou," Sirius said as fast as he could.

Lily's heart soared, but she was suddenly suspicious. "Erm.. aren't you going out with that Hufflepuff? Delia?"

"I broke up with her. A couple weeks ago, actually."

Lily felt her temper flare. She remembered the day he had winked at Delia in the Great Hall. She knew he had been staring at her before he winked at Delia. "What, Black? Decided you couldn't live if you didn't have a girl?"

Sirius wrinkled his forehead, confused. "No.. I realized I liked you, so I broke up with her," he repeated.

Lily realized she was shaking. "It's too late, Black. You've gotten my hopes up too much. Staring at me, then flirting with other girls. This wouldn't work out."

"What? I never did that!" Sirius said in disbelief. Was she.. _rejecting_ him? No. It wasn't possible. He was_ Sirius Black_. He was completely irresistible. Right? "Evans.. PLEASE give me a chance!" Was he_ begging_? Sirius Black did not_ beg. Merlin!_ he thought. _I guess love really does make you do crazy things._

Lily shook her head. "I'm sorry, Black. Anyway, NEWTs are coming up and I need to focus. Besides, James would murder the both of us."

Sirius shook his head. "I don't care! If I had you.."

"It won't happen!" Lily yelled. "You don't get it! You don't know how hard I've thought about this. And then I see you with some girl. I'm sorry, it's too hard to explain. I can't do this." she ran turned and ran up the stairs to the dormitory.

Sirius kicked an overstuffed armchair. "God_damn_ it!"  
Why the hell were girls so confusing?


	5. Bad News

**Holy wow. I posted the 4th chapter only a few hours ago, and the story has gotten like 230 more view. WHAT. It's crazy! Anyway, I worked really hard on this chapter, I hope you like it! xx Caroline**

* * *

The weeks passed steadily. Around Easter, the Gryffindors held another party. Remembering what had happened at the last one, Lily opted to stay in the dorm and study, as did Sirius. Elizabeth and Alice wanted to stay with Lily, but.. "You guys. Go down to the party. Now." Lily commanded her best friends. "I can tell you both want to go."

"No," Alice protested. "That's not true!"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "You've got to be kidding me. Go. Have a good time. Meet a guy. Fall in love. Have your heart crushed." she gave a bitter smile.

"Lils.. are you sure?" Elizabeth asked. "Will you be all right up here?"

"I-I'll be fine," Lily said, trying to conceal her suden tears from her friends. This had been happening more and more, these random emotional outbursts. She wiped roughly at her eyes. "GO," she repeated.

Elizabeth and Alice stood up tentatively. They took a few step towards the door. Lily made a shooing motion with her hands. "Go ahead!" The two girls left, and Lily was left alone to cry.

After about an hour, Lily realized that crying would get her nowhere. She pulled out her textbooks and began studying for her NEWTs. Defense Against the Dark Arts.. Potions.. Transfiguration.. The hours passed quickly and soon Lily fell fast asleep.

Tap. Tap tap.

Lily sat straight up, yawning. Tap tap. Glancing around for the source of the sound, Lily noted that her friends were back in their beds, sleeping soundly. She looked out the window, where she saw her owl, Cleo. As quietly as she could, she crossed the room and eased the window open. She silently untied a letter from Cleo's leg. The owl gave Lily's finger an affectionate nip, then flew off to the Owelry.

Lily squinted, but she couldn't read who the letter was from. _Probably from Mum and Dad,_ she thought. She tiptoed over to the door and down to the common room.  
A cursory glance around the common room proved that there was no one there, so Lily shoved aside a few empty Firewhiskey bottles and settled in front of the fire with the letter. The even, neat script on the front read:

_To: Lily Evans_  
_From: Petunia Evans_

Lily couldn't mask her shock. "Petunia?" she gasped. Her sister never wrote to her. She thought that Hogwarts was a "freak school". Even when Lily was home, Petunia hardly ever talked to her. Lily couldn't believe her sister had sent a letter by owl post. Carefully slitting the top of the envelope, Lily pulled out a sheet of crisp white paper folded in thirds.

As she read, her bottom lip began to tremble. She curled into a ball as thick, hot tears began falling down her face.

* * *

Sirius was drifting somewhere in between sleep and consciousness when he heard an odd noise- almost like that of a keening animal. He opened his eyes, trying to root out the source of noise. It wasn't coming from the dorm.. maybe the common room? He climbed out of bed and crept down the stone stairs. In front of the fire was a girl with fiery red hair, sobbing as if the world was ending.

Just my luck, Sirius thought, it's Lily. He debated going back upstairs, but he'd never get back to sleep with this racket going on. _Ah, to hell with it,_ he decided, and walked over to where she was slumped on the floor.

Gently he touched her head. Her hair was soft to the touch, almost like silk. He knelt beside her. "Evans- I mean Lily, what's wrong?"

Lily looked up at him with pained eyes. Wordlessly, she held out a letter dotted with tearstains. Sirius took the letter and began reading.

_Lily-_  
_I suppose I'm the bearer of bad news. Last night, Mum and Dad were found dead at home. I was with Vernon all week, I didn't know it had happened until I recieved the call. As soon as we're allowed back in, Vernon and I will be clearing the house out. We'll store your things at our place- Number 4 on Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. This summer you may come and fetch them. After that we never want to see you again. By the way- Vernon and I are getting married next Autumn. You won't be invited. The funeral will be held tomorrow morning at 11, if you can manage to get away from your freak school._  
_-Petunia_

A wave of sympathy hit Sirius. He looked up from the letter. "Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry." He tentatively wrapped an arm around her shoulders. When she didn't protest, he knew things were serious. "Listen, Lily, I'll take you to Dumbledore." He hoisted her to her feet. "C'mon." He put his arm around her waist. But it was clear she could barely walk. Sirius picked her up and began carried her out of the portrait hole.

"Where are you two going?" the Fat Lady called. "You'll get into trouble!"

Sirius ignored her. He had been up in Dumbledore's office a fair amount of times since he started at Hogwarts. "Lily, we're almost there," he whispered. She whimpered into his shirt. "Shhhhh," he soothed. They reached the gargoyles that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"What do you want?" One of the gargoyles moaned, opening one eye.

"I need to see Dumbledore. It's an emergency," Sirius said urgently.

"Password?"

"Goddammit, I don't know!" Sirius whispered loudly. "Her parents just died," he gestured with his head to Lily in his arms. "and we need to speak to Dumbledore. Immediately."

"Sorry, kid, no password, no entrance," the other gargoyle growled.

Sirius gently set Lily down. "LET.. US.. IN!" Each word was punctuated with a kick to the base of the gargoyle. "NOW!"

"SIRIUS BLACK! WHAT IN THE DEVIL IS GOING ON HERE?" Minerva McGonagall strode angrily over to the gargoyles. "Good lord.. what's wrong with Miss Evans?"

"Professor.. Her parents died.. We need to speak with Dumbledore."

"Bertie Bott's!" McGonagall snapped.

"Erm.. what?" Sirius asked, confused.

"Password." she said curtly.

"Ah." Sirius picked Lily up. She clung to his shirt. "It's all right, Lily. It'll be okay."

McGonagall followed them up the stairs. As they got up to the top, she knocked three times on the heavy wooden door. "Enter," came a deep voice from within the room.

McGonagall held open the door. "Mr. Black. Miss Evans. I'm assuming you're here because of the tragedy that befell Miss Evan's parents last night?" Dumbledore inquired.

Sirius nodded. "I heard her crying in the common room.. I didn't know what to do. So I brought her here."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very wise of you. Petunia wrote me as well."

"Is there any way we can get to the funeral?" Sirius asked desperately.

Dumbledore nodded again. "Indeed. But perhaps it would be wise for Miss Evans to spend a night in the hospital wing. I'll arrange a Portkey tomorrow. I shall accompany you as well."

"Thank you, Professor," Sirius said. His arms were beginning to ache from holding Lily for so long. "I'll take her downstairs."

"Until tomorrow," Dumbledore said.

* * *

Madame Pomfrey didn't want Sirius to stay in the hospital wing, but he insisted. He felt like Lily was his responsibility now that her parents were dead and her sister didn't want her. Madame Pomfrey had given Lily a sleeping draught, and Sirius spent most of the night worrying. A little after dawn, Lily's eyelids fluttered open. For a second, she wondered why she was in the hospital wing, and why Sirius Black, of all people, was sitting next to her bed. Then everything from the previous night came crashing down on her, and she bit back a sob.

"Lily!" Sirius jumped to his feet. "You're awake. Do you.. remember anything from last night in Dumbledore's office?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah. I do." She remembered it all. Every painful second.

"I have some clothes for you to change into," he told her. He held up a small bag. "Alice packed it for you when I went up to the common room about an hour ago."

"Thank you," Lily said in a small voice. "For coming with me today, and carrying me all over the castle last night. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come down from your dorm last night." she wrapped her arms around his neck.

After a slight pause, Sirius hugged her back. "I'll always be there for you if you need me," he said. "Always."


	6. The Funeral

**Hello, everybody! Sorry I haven't been updating, we were on vacation all week last week, and then I got writer's block. Joy. I know this chapter isn't very entertaining, but I'm going to get some Sirius/Lily interaction in the next few chapters. So stay tuned!**

**Also, I'm working on a new fic, so watch for that too! It's set after the Battle of Hogwarts and how the battle changed everybody.**

**Please read and review/ favorite/ follow.**

**Hope you enjoy, you guys are the best! :3 **

**xx Caroline**

* * *

Sirius and Lily left for Dumbledore's office at precisely 9:54. _I'm on my way to my parent's funeral,_ Lily thought, tears filling her eyes. Sirius glanced over at her. When he saw her damp eyes, he reached down and laced his fingers through hers. Lily didn't object, instead finding comfort in his actions. They climbed the spiral staircase up to Dumbledore's office, both deep in thought. Sirius knocked on the door, and it swung open, revealing Dumbledore standing in the doorway, wearing a deep plum colored suit.

"Welcome," Dumbledore said solemnly. He nodded towards a glass bottle on his desk top. "Two minutes."

Lily and Sirius both reached for the bottle, each laying a finger on it. Sirius squeezed Lily's hand. The Portkey whisked them off in a whirl of color. They landed in a small, grassy meadow. Lily remembered this place. It was where she and Petunia had spent many happy afternoons making daisy chains and running around. She choked back a sob. It seemed like forever ago.

Dumbledore seemed to know exactly where he was going. He led them through a small residential area towards the town square, where the chapel was located. Lily played with the hem of her dress, suddenly very nervous. Was her outfit all right? She had never been to a funeral before. Sirius gave her a look that seemed to say, _You okay?_ Lily took a deep breath and gave a minuscule nod. _I'll be fine._

They reached the chapel and Lily's heart froze in her chest. At the top of the stone steps leading inside were two people. One of them was Petunia. The other was a beefy man she assumed was Vernon. "Lily." Petunia's voice was thin and cold.

"H-hey, Petunia," Lily said, fighting to keep her voice level. "Erm.. This is Professor Dumbledore and Sirius Black," she said, gesturing to them in turn.

Petunia ignored Dumbledore and looked at Sirius. "Is he your _boyfriend?_" she asked snidely.

"He's my friend," Lily said quietly, but there was something menacing in her voice. Sirius gripped her hand tighter. Not wanting to get into a fight with her sister, Lily pulled Sirius into the church and Dumbledore followed them after nodding politely to Petunia and Vernon.

The service slipped by quickly. Lily vaguely remembered standing at the front of the church as the reverend proclaimed her and Petunia "the only remaining relations of Paul and Rachel Evans". She remembered the feeling of Sirius's arm around her shoulders as she cried into her hands. She remembered seeing the two caskets lowered into the ground, and throwing two flowers into the hole- A daisy to represent her mother's sunny disposition, a red aster to represent her father's unending patience.

And then, just like that, it was over. Lily, Sirius, and Dumbledore stepped outside the chapel, where it had begun to rain. "Professor Dumbledore?" Lily asked in a small voice. "I was wondering if, maybe, we could stop at my house before we went back?"

Dumbledore nodded his consent. They set off along the lane, Lily leading the way. When they reached the house, Lily felt like crying and screaming and cursing all at once. A large "For Sale" sign was hammered into the front yard. Lily ran to the front window to see if she could see inside, but the curtains were drawn. She ran around back, where she knew the kitchen had no curtains. She tried not to cry, but it was no use. Everything that made the cottage home was gone. No flowerpots on the windowsills, no cut-paper decorations on the table. But most of all, no happy family living inside. No mum baking, no dad telling jokes. No playful squabbling between Petunia and Lily.

Lily's tears mingled with the rainwater coursing down her cheeks. She crouched in the patch of dirt that had once been her mum's beautiful garden- Petunia had even pulled up the flowers. "Mum.. Dad.." Lily sobbed. "Please, come back!" She knelt, dirt sticking to her knees and smudging her dress. She had never had this sensation before- this feeling of complete hopelessness.

Out in the road, Sirius turned to Dumbledore. "Please.. Professor.. Let me handle this," he said urgently. "I think she'll listen to me." He ran towards Lily without waiting for a reply from the headmaster.

Lily heard footsteps behind her, then felt a hand touch her shoulder. "Lily.. please," Sirius said. He was crying too, his skin a ghostly white.

Lily pulled away from him. "No," she sobbed. "Leave me alone."

"Please," Sirius pleaded desperately. "We need to go back."

Lily shook her head. "I'm not going."

"Don't make me do this, Lily," Sirius said, raising his wand.

Lily reached for her wand before remembering she was wearing a dress. "DAMN!"

"One more chance, Lily," Sirius warned.

"LEAVE. ME. ALONE." Lily screamed, putting every ounce of hatred she had into those three words.

"STUPEFY!" Sirius cried, a jet of red light shooting out of his wand. Lily slumped over into the bed of dirt, unconscious.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Lily was conscious and she and Sirius were sitting in Dumbledore's office, wrapped in blankets and sipping steaming mugs of hot chocolate- Madame Pomfrey's orders. Lily wasn't speaking to Sirius, still furious at him for having Stunned her. "Professor," Lily said suddenly, "Where's my wand?"

"It's been confiscated," Dumbledore replied matter-of-factly.

"What?" Lily yelped. "Why?"

"Standard procedure," Dumbledore said, sipping his drink. "When one loses someone they love, they begin to think about, well, joining them, in the next life."

"How am I supposed to pass my classes?" Lily cried, already stressing. "And more importantly, how am I supposed to hex Black into oblivion?"

Dumbledore chuckled at this last part. "Your teachers know what happened. I suppose they'll assign book work until your wand is returned."

Lily crossed her arms, abandoning her mug of hot chocolate. "This is ridiculous. I'm going back to the dorm." Dumbledore didn't try to stop her, and Lily stomped out the door.

Sirius watched her go. "Professor, what should I do?" he asked. "She's so angry with me.. All I want to do is help her."

Dumbledore folder his hands on the desk. "Sirius, just give her space. She just lost the people she loved most. I know that behind all that anger, she is extremely grateful for all the help you've given her. Let her simmer for a few days. She needs you now more than ever."

Thankful for Dumbledore's advice, Sirius left for the common room. He was emotionally and physically drained, and all he wanted to do was collapse on his four poster bed and sleep for hours. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be in his future.

"Where the hell have you been?" James demanded. Sirius dug through his brain for a lie, but concluded that it was better to tell the truth.

"Well.. Last night I heard someone crying in the common room. So I went down to see who it was, and it was Lily." James's eyes widened. "She had just gotten a letter from her sister. Her parents were found dead. She was in really bad shape, so I took her to Dumbledore. The funeral was today, and Dumbledore asked me to go with her." Sirius decided against telling James that it was completely his decision to go to the funeral.

"I should go talk to her," James said. "Maybe by showing her that I care, she'll agree to go out with me!"

Sirius's temper boiled over. "You _bastard,_" he hissed. "She just lost her parents, and all you care about is going out with her? You insensitive, selfish little-"

"What's going on here?" Remus asked, walking into the room.

"Sirius seems to think I don't give a damn about Lily's feelings," James snapped, venom in his voice.

"Because you DON'T!" Sirius shouted. "Her parents DIED, goddammit! Don't you think for once you could stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about other people might feel? News flash, the world doesn't revolve around you, Potter. She doesn't effing love you, so you might as well get the hell over it!"

James looked as if someone had thrown ice water on him. "Go to hell, Black." He turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

"Lily!" Alice cried the second she walked into the dorm. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. I'm fine," Lily said automatically, even though she was anything but fine. She reached for a pair of comfortable flannel pants to change out of her mud and rain soaked dress.

"What happened to your dress?" Elizabeth asked, observing all the mud stains.

"Well.." Lily sighed. "We stopped by the old house and I kind of got.. Out of control."

"Like.. Screaming and crying?" Alice asked.

"Exactly," Lily said. She curled up on her bed. "I just freaked out. It's crazy that they're not here, you know?"

Elizabeth looked at her sympathetically. "It must be really hard."

Lily nodded. "It is."

"No matter what happens, we'll always be here for you, Lils," Alice said.

Tears came to Lily's eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. Feeling exhausted, she snuggled under the blankets and fell asleep.


End file.
